Ketohalogenodimethylperhydrophenanthrenes and process of making same



Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KETOHALOGENODI PHENANTHRENE MAKING SAME METHYLPERHYDRO- s AND PROCESS OF Karl Miescher, Riehen, and Jean-Rene Billeter,

Basel, Switzerland, assignors to ceutical Products, Inc., Summit,

Ciba Pharma- No Drawing. Application September 26,1949, Se-

rial No. 117,955. 1948 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to 1-keto-2- wherein Hal stands for a for a bromine atom.

The new halides may contain further substituents, especially in the. 7-position a hydroxyl or a substituent convertible into such a group, for example, an etherified or esterified hydroxyl group and also a further halogen atom, for example, in the 14-position. The invention is more especially concerned with the l-keto-2-bromo-7-hydroxy- 2,13-dimethyl-14-perhydrophenanthrene and 1- keto 2 bromo 7 hydroxy 14 chloro 2,13 dimethyl-perhydrophenanthrene and the esters and ethers of these bromides, for example, their acetates, propionates or benzoates.

The new compounds are obtained by treating a 1 keto 2,13 dimethyl perhydrophenanthrene with a halogenating agent.

As starting materials there are used more especially 1 keto 2,13 dimethyl perhydrophenanthrenes, which contain in the 7-position a hydroxyl or a substituent convertible into such a group, for example, an etherified or esterified hydroxyl group. Also very valuable are those starting materials which contain, in addition to the said substituents and a hydrogen atom in the 2-position, a halogen atom advantageously in the 14-position. Illustrative examples of starting materials according to the invention are l-keto- 7 hydroxy 2,13 dimethyl perhydrophenanthrene and l keto 7 hydroxy 14 chloro 2,13-dimethyl-perhydrophenanthrene and ethers or esters of these compounds, for example, their acetates, propionates or benzoates. These starting materials can be obtained, for example, by the oxidation of sterins and the further conversions by known methods of the compound so obtained.

For the halogenation there are used especially halogens, such as bromine, in which case it is of advantage to work in an inert solvent, such as ether.

The halides obtained by the present process are valuable intermediate products for the manufacture of therapeutically active compounds.

halogen atom, especially In Switzerland October 8,

The following examples illustrate the invention, the parts being by weight:

Example 1 1 keto 2 bromo 7 acetoxy 2,13- di- -methy1 14 trans-perhydrophenanthrene of the formula 5.5 parts of bromine are added in the course of 30 minutes to a solution of 10 parts of l-keto-7- acetoxy 2,13 dimethyl 14 trans perhydrophenanthrene (having a melting point at 144 C.) in 250 parts of absolute ether, initially at room temperature and subsequently While cooling with ice. After the bromination, the whole is mixed with 200 parts of ice-water, the ethereal solution is washed with an ice-cooled solution of sodium bicarbonate, dried and evaporated, and the residue i recrystallized from methanol or acetone. 1 keto 2 bromo 7 acetoxy 2,13 dimethyl 14 trans perhydrophenanthrene (having a decomposition point of 134 C.) is obtained in a yield of per cent.

In lieu of the 7-acetoxy-compound as used in the foregoing example, compounds having other acyloxy groups in the 7-position, such as propionyloxy or benzoyloxy groups or a free hydroxyl group may be used as starting material, whereby the 1-keto-7-propionoxy-, 1-keto-7-benzoyloxy-,

and 1 keto 7 hydroxy 2 bromo 2,13 dimethyl 14 trans perhydrophenanthrene, respectively, are obtained.

In the same manner, ethers, especially the 7- alkoxy-compounds, such as the 1-keto-7-methoxy-, 1-keto-7-ethoxy-, l-keto-l-propyloxyor 1-ket0-7-benzyloxy-2-bromo 2,13 dimethyl-14- trans-perhydrophenanthrene may be prepared 'by starting from the corresponding 1-keto-7- methoxy-, 1-keto-7-ethoxy-, 1-keto-7-propyloxyor l-keto-7-benzyloxy- 2,13 -dimethyl-14-transperhydrophenanthrene. The latter may be prepared in a manner known as such by converting the 7-hydroxy compound into the 7-halogencompounds and which in turn are treated with an appropriate alcoholate.

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Example 2 1-keto-2-bromo-7-acetoxy 14 trans-chloro- 2,13 dimethyl perhydrophenanthrene of the formula O HzC-lI-O I temperature the double bond of the A -1-ket0-, 'l-acetoxy 2,13 dimethyl-dodecahydrophenan-' threne with hydrogen chloride dissolved in a mixture of acetic acid and chloroform.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Process for the manufacture of a ketobromodimethyl-perhydrophenanthrene by treating a 1- keto-2,13-dimethyl-perhydrophenanthrene which The whole is then mixed with water,

and the ethereal solution 4 contains in the 7-position a member selected from the group consisting of free hydroxyl, lower aliphatic acyloxy and lower alkoxy and in 14-position a member selected from the group consist ing of hydrogen and chlorine, with bromine in an inert solvent and while cooling with ice, whereby the corresponding 1-keto-2-bromo-2,13-dimethyl-perhydrophenanthrene is preferentially Q produced.

2. A 1-keto-2-bromo-2,13-dimethyl-perhydrophenanthrene carrying inthe 7-position a member selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, lower aliphatic acyloxy and lower alkoxy and in l4-position a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and chlorine.

3. 1-keto-2-bromo-7-acetoxy-2,13-dimethyl-l4- trans-perhydrophenanthrene.

4. 1-keto-2-bromo-7-acetoxy- 14 -trans-chloro- "2,13-dimethyl-perhydrophenanthrene.

KAR

L MIEsCHER. JEAN-RENE BILLETER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,116,893 Heisel May 10, 1938 2,260,328 Meiescher et a1. Oct. 28, 1941 2,528,001 Johnson et al Oct. 31, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Achtermann: Zeit. physlol. Chem, vol. 225, pp. 141-144 (1934 Koster et al.: Berichte, vol. 73, pp. 298-304 (1940). v 

2. A 1-KETO-2-BROMINE-2,13-DIMETHYL-PERHYDROPHENANTHRENE CARRYING IN THE 7-POSITION A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROXY, LOWER ALIPHATIC ACYLOXY AND LOWER ALKOXY AND IN 14-POSITION A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN AND CHLORINE. 